


Touched by Death

by Spnloverja



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Attempted Murder, Detective Jensen, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Jared Padalecki, Hurt Jensen Ackles, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Murder, detective jared
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-07-26 20:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7589116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spnloverja/pseuds/Spnloverja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>NYPD Detective Jensen Ackles has built his life around solving crimes and getting justice under the weight of his badge. But when an unsolved case gets a warm body, his life, the man he loves, and even his sanity are put in jeopardy. Because after all, the hardest thing to do is love something death can touch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "The hardest thing is to love something Death can touch."

“I hate you.” Jensen mouthed into downy soft fabric and feathers, midsection stretching and ribs pressing close to thin tanned skin while he rolled over onto his stomach, escaping into a cotton solitude. Jared pounced happily on the bed, far too awake for six in the morning on a Monday. Jared placed both legs on either side of Jensen’s torso and straddled him, calves tight against his boyfriend’s ribs. He took a moment to revel in the sight and gazed at his drowsy boyfriend. Tawny brown hair ruffled across the crown of his skull and the small portion of his face which wasn’t buried in the pillow had pink creases etched into his cheek, a small glint of drool trickled off the corner of his plush lips. A smile pulled at his mouth. Jared let his eyes wander lower along the trail of hair at the nape of his neck and down to broad, muscular shoulders encased with tan skin that glinted in the sun rays dripping through the curtains. Jared traced a finger over his lover’s spine and down to his lower back on the left side, swirling his finger around the small three inch scar there, puckered skin raised into the pad of his index finger. A year after they met they were taking down an assailant and Jensen got thrown back into a pile of garbage. He was impaled on a rebar and spent two weeks in the hospital after it got infected. Jared was there when he woke up and he kissed him hard on the mouth before he could even ask why the hell he wasn’t wearing pants. His finger nudged at the deep-rooted memory, causing the man beneath him to wriggle.

“You love me.” Jared sing songed, tickling at Jensen’s ribs and eating pillow for his trouble. Jared chucked the offending pillow at the wall with a satisfying thwack and climbed off Jensen after giving him a peck on his cheek. “We have to leave for work in half an hour Jen.”

Jensen didn’t so much as twitch. Jared bounded into the kitchen and poured a cup of scorching black coffee into Jensen’s NYPD coffee mug before moving back into the bedroom. He set the cup on the side table and backed away to watch the show. He could tell the moment Jensen smelled the coffee. His whole body tensed up, nostrils flaring slightly, and with eyes still closed he dragged an arm across the sheets to the side table. His digits danced across the wood grain until they skimmed hot ceramic. He gripped the handle of the mug. Without spilling a drop he raised up to sit on the edge of the bed and brought the cup to his lips. He gulped down half the mug in one swallow, steam raising a flush along his cheeks and the tip of his nose. After the liquid hit his stomach Jensen cracked open his eyes and smirked at Jared, “Maybe I don’t hate you, I mean you make damn good coffee.”

“You,” Jared sauntered over to Jensen and placed his lips centimeters from Jensen’s plush ones. Jensen sucked in a breath leaning forward in anticipation, “are an ass.”

“You love my ass.” Jensen smirked, taking another swig of coffee and giving Jared a sloppy kiss on the mouth before rising up from the bed and shuffling towards the bathroom.

“You smell like ass!” Jared quipped turning on his heel and staring after his boyfriend. Jensen lifted a hand over his head, middle finger in the air, and didn’t bother turning back around. As Jensen walked away Jared couldn’t help but let his eyes wander down Jensen’s bare back to his black boxer briefs which left little to the imagination. Yeah, he conceded, he definitely loved Jensen’s ass.

Jared chuckled and wandered into the kitchen to fill up a to-go mug with coffee for Jensen and himself. Last time he left Jensen to his own devices, he had spilt coffee all over himself and griped for the rest of the day about burnt balls and cold boxers. He set the mugs on the counter and walked back into the bedroom to grab his suit jacket and 9mm. He tucked the gun into his holster and strapped his badge to the other side. It wasn’t normal for two people on the force to be partners at work and in life but Jensen had thrown such a fit when Captain Kripke split them up that the majority of the station had begged to have them put back together. Plus Jared was pretty sure the Captain had a soft spot for Jen.

Jared shrugged his suit on and turned around just as Jensen strolled back into the bedroom. His hair was relatively dry and tousled in the way that leaves you guessing if it took hours to style or if he they just rolled out of bed. With Jensen it was usually the latter. His cheeks were a little flushed from the hot water of the shower and his skin was still slightly damp and tantalizingly bare. Jensen bent down and yanked open the drawer to grab out boxers and socks. He shimmied on the boxers before opening up another drawer for his pants. He slid them on and began to move towards the closet but before he got there Jared had come up behind him and wrapped his arms around him.

His skin was still shower warm and Jared’s cool hands sent a shiver down his spine. Jared bent down and nipped at the junction where his neck meets his shoulder and Jensen moaned happily. “Jare we got to leave soon.”

“Why do you have to wear so many clothes to work?” Jared groaned unhappily letting go of Jensen so he could grab a pale green shirt from a hanger with a grey suit jacket.

“Got to have somewhere to put my gun.” Jensen grinned wolfishly before sliding his arms into his shirt and beginning to do up the buttons. Jared stepped forward large hands smacking Jensen’s away from the buttons and beginning to do them himself. Moving slower than Jensen had and appreciating the smooth tan skin of his boyfriend’s chest. As soon as the last button was done he slid his hands down and around Jensen’s waist, bending his neck forward and capturing Jensen’s mouth with his own. Jensen opened up immediately and they kissed slowly and lovingly until Jensen grabbed his ass and Jared groaned into Jensen’s mouth. Jared swept his hands down under Jensen’s backside pulling him up into his arms and Jensen wrapped his legs around Jared’s trim waist. Then Jared’s pocket began buzzing.

“Fuck.” Jared muttered before pressing the answer button and placing the phone next to his ear, letting Jensen slide back down to his own two feet. “Detective Padalecki.”  
Jensen smacked his ass as he walked over to his side of the bed and strapped on his 9mm and badge. “Jared where did you plug my phone in last night?”

Jared held a hand over the receiver and mouthed over his shoulder ‘mantle’, before going back to his call. “Yes sir, we are on our way.” Jared answered before pressing end call and shoving the technology back into his pocket. “Jen we got a case.”

“I’m only on my second cup of coffee.” Jensen whined from the doorway where he was cradling the drink to his chest. “You’re driving bitch.”

Jared chuckled following behind him and snatching the keys from the counter. “I’m sorry I think I mis heard you. Was that thank you for the coffee my most glorious boyfriend who has the body of a god and gives me amazing sex?”

“Thank you.” Jensen turned and pecked his cheek holding his face in his palm, “bitch.”  
Then he strolled back to car with a self-satisfied smirk over taking most of his face. Jared followed behind, struggling not to smile. “Jerk.”  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jared rolled to a stop in front of the crime scene, wheels spinning effortlessly along the gravel. Jensen reached out to run his fingers along the wheel, humming under his breath with the motor. Jared stared at him unabatingly with his wide shoulders angled inward and crammed between the leather seat back and the driver side window. Jared cleared his throat, “Want me to give you a minute alone?”

“I can’t help it if my boyfriend is busy and leaves me all alone at night. A man has needs.” Jensen winked, rolling his hips forward and leaning over the stick shift into Jared’s personal space. Jared swallowed thickly, tongue swiping over his dry lips invitingly. Jensen leaned close, his left hand braced on the dash so that his torso hovered over Jared’s lap, he glanced up through his lashes pulling his bottom lip into his mouth. He dragged it tenderly between his teeth leaving it red and plump. Jared’s mouth went dry as Jensen leaned in closer dragging his left palm up Jared’s thigh, the muscles twitching in excitement. Jensen leaned in closer, breath ghosting across Jared’s mouth before he dodged to the side and smacked his lips to the dashboard. He moaned appreciatively before pulling back and cackling.

“You ass!” Jared breathed out, pressing a palm to his crotch and pressing blood from his lower regions up into his cheeks. Jensen sat back in his seat and gracefully opened the door and slid out to standing. Jared tried to glare but his eyes went soft as he appreciated the view of his boyfriend’s slim hips. He turned forward, not helping the current issue. He willed himself to think of something disgusting.

“Coming Padelecki?” Jensen called as he strutted around the front of the impala. He leaned into the passenger window smirk still in place and hooded look in his green eyes, “No pun intended.”  
Jared gaped up at him, his face hot with embarrassment and arousal. Dammit. “You know I could file a sexual harassment suit, I don’t even know why I put up with…”

Jensen grabbed the back of his collar and locked their lips together, tugging Jared’s bottom lip into his warm mouth and rolling it across his teeth. He suckled gently before pulling back slowly, eyes downcast to Jared’s kiss swollen lips. Jared breathed out shakily, “oh yeah that’s why.”

“We have a case to solve love muffin.” Jensen teased as he swayed towards the crime scene tape. Jared grumbled to himself before clambering out of the car and slamming the door, watching Jensen wince at the sound. It felt oddly gratifying. Jared surveyed the scene, the victim lay on the asphalt of the dank alley surrounded by broken bottles and a box covered in what appeared to be urine if the stench was anything to go by. There was a group of witnesses sitting off to the side with a couple of uniform officers. The victim was male, a stab wound to the lower back and another between his shoulder blades.

“So we got a guy with multiple stab wounds, do we have an I.D.?” Jared asked walking up along side the body.

“Andrew Manners. His driver’s license was in his back pocket wallet but there was no cash or credit cards.” Jensen replied holding out an evidence baggy with the rectangular card inside.

“Robbery?” Jared asked scanning the area for a murder weapon.

“I don’t think so, they took his watch but left the wedding ring. I think whoever did this wanted  
it to look like a robbery.” Jensen replied moving a gloved finger to flick at the collar of the man’s suit jacket. “Lipstick mark on his neck.”

Jared cataloged the position and state of the victim. The wounds weren’t very deep, making it possible the perpetrator was a woman. Actually slicing a knife through muscle and sinew is a lot harder than it looks on t.v. Jared assessed, glancing over to the gathered witnesses. He nudged his partner, “Want to start interviewing?”

“It’s her.” Jensen replied, nodding over toward two woman, a blonde clinging to the brunette beside her. The blonde had tight curls sprouting out and slightly messy from the night. Her black leather skirt rode high on her spray tanned legs and she teetered on her red pumps.

“How can you be so sure? You haven’t even talked to her.” Jared argued. He scanned her forehead looking for sharpie that said GUILTY, but nothing was there. She did however have the same lipstick color glossing her lips as the murder victim’s collar.

Jensen glanced back at him over his shoulder with a dubious look, “Watch and learn.”

Jensen approached the brunette first and drew out his badge with a sharp grin, “Detective Ackles, I’m sorry to keep you ladies waiting, if I could just ask you a couple questions.”

“Ask away.” The brunette replied with cigarette roughed vocal chords.

She received a tight lipped smile. “Did you know the victim?”

“Not really, I’ve seen him around a couple of times. Looking for a warm body.” Jensen nodded along and turned to the blonde giving her an imploring look.

“Like she said, just seen him hanging out on the street.” The blonde replied timidly.  
“And you were his ‘warm body’ for the night?” Jensen replied certainly. The blonde tensed, mouth  
falling open and closing soundlessly. “There’s no need to deny it ma’am, I’m here to solve a murder not to bust you for your nightly activities.”

The blonde blinked down at the ground and nodded slowly. Jensen made a note on his notepad. “When was the last time you saw him alive?”

“Right after we…ummm… had our transaction, he took off and I went looking for another customer.” She replied shyly.

“Did you see where he went?” The blonde shook her head and kept her eyes averted, leaning slightly into her friend.

“Alright, just one more question” Jensen stated kindly folding up his notepad and tucking it into his pocket, “Did you kill him?”

“What? I?” The blonde gasped, the brunette cut in, leaning in front of her friend, “Now listen here…”

“Was it more difficult to stab through his back then you thought it would be? That is why you had to stab twice, right? He wasn’t dying fast enough.” Jensen bit back aggressively.

“No! That’s not what happened!” The blonde babbled, fighting her friend’s grip.

“Sure the guy made mistakes, stepping out on his wife, but did he deserve to die for it? To be stabbed in the back multiple times and left in the dirty alley face down? Does he have kids? Did he tell you about them as you seduced him into a hotel room and took his money and pride?”

“You’re wrong! He was a pig and he deserved to die!” The blonde screamed before clamping a hand over her mouth.

“And that’s why you killed him right?” Jensen replied turning to the brunette.

“What? Me?” Jensen nodded appraisingly.

“I get it, you girls stick together. It’s a dangerous career choice and you aren’t about to let her go down for something you did. Even if it was for her.” Jensen explained imploringly, “He came on to your friend and she was just doing her job but something went wrong, right? He decided to be a bit rough or he didn’t want to pay and so you made a choice. And you’re the type of woman who lives up to her choices.”

There was a long silence. A moment where the two woman just stared at the young detective and Jared stared right along with them. Mouth slightly askew in awe at his partner. The brunette opened her mouth and the blonde gripped her arm with pleading eyes but was shrugged off. “I killed him. Just please Detective, we were victims too.”

Jensen stood there for a breath, jaw grinding and lines prominent around his grim mouth. Then he nodded toward the uniformed officers and strode back over to Jared. He brushed by him, fingers glancing over his knuckles. Jared followed quietly, slipping into the passenger seat. “Well, that’s one way to get a confession.”


	2. Chapter 2

Jared shifted in the passenger seat as Jensen revved the engine. He slipped it into drive and glanced over his shoulder before pulling out onto the crowded New York street. They rolled about 10 feet before he halted smoothly at a red light. His right hand slid off the wheel and closed around Jared’s thigh, squeezing lightly. Jared wrapped a large paw around Jensen’s hand and massaged circles into the skin of the back of his lover’s hand. “I think those girls get a bad rap, they’re just trying to make a life for themselves. Trying to survive.”

“I can’t condone illegal behavior.” Jensen mumbles through tight lips, his eyes darted to Jared for a moment and they softened, “But I tend to agree. It’s just dangerous, they have no protection from us and I just… That girl was right. They’re victims too, of this city, and of the system. Guess, that’s why I chose homicide, I don’t have to deal with that bullshit, just catching killers.”

“But sometimes being a killer and being a murderer are kind of different, I know.” Jared conceited, the hand on his thigh tensing. Nails catching on the jean threads.

“Alright enough of the philosophical shit.” Jensen ground out with a breathy laugh, “You remember that one case, where I had to go undercover as a prostitute for drug vice?”

“Of course I remember! How could I forget those leather pants?” Jared laughed and Jensen winced, his cheeks turning pink, “Any chance you still have that eyeliner?”

“Only for special occasions.” Jensen teased playfully batting his eyelashes, “I was just thinking about that John who kept trying to get me in his car. I kept telling him I was on break but he was a persistent son of a bitch. I remember when he got out of his car and started towards me and you came barreling around the corner. I thought you were going kill the guy you looked so pissed!”

“I was pissed! Sitting in that crappy surveillance guy listening to this douche wagon come on to you!” Jared groused, crossing his arms a pout playing on his lips.

“We weren’t even dating then. Probably why I was so surprised when you came around that corner pushed me into the wall, grabbed my face, and started to make out with me.” Jensen laughed, Jared’s lip tilting up, “Isn’t that a romantic first kiss story?”

Jared laughed heartily and threw his head back just picturing his mother’s face if he were to spout off that tale. Jensen had laughter on his breath as he continued, “Oh it was so romantic, he came barging around the corner to where I was prostituting myself and pushed me against a dirty alley wall, I didn’t even make him pay.”

“Wait! That wasn’t our first kiss.” Jared contemplated, screwing up his face in a concentrated look.

“Yes it was” Jensen argued, “Don’t fuck with my romantic story.”

“No, no it was that day in the karaoke bar.” Jared explained, smirking happily at the memory.

It was the rookie class’ initiation party, most of the precinct had already paid their dues and left with waves and congratulations. But some of the young detectives and cops remained. Gyrating on the wooden dance floor and spilling beer on sticky counters. Jensen leaned across the bar and held a hand up to the bartender to signal for another beer. He was pleasantly buzzed, actually far past buzzed, his vision was swimming and he couldn’t keep the grin off his lips. He grabbed the beer off the bar top, the cool bottle slipping in his sweaty palms. He took a long pull of the amber liquid, Adam’s apple bobbing. Jo Harvelle, one of the new rookie’s, sidled up next to him and threw an arm around his shoulders. She leaned up against him with her breast pressed tight to his bicep. He smiled down at her lazily and sidestepped carefully in order to free his arm enough to bring the beer back to his lips.

“You should go ask him to dance.” Jo chided teasingly- bumping his shoulder with her own. Jensen snorted but he knew exactly who she was talking about. It was the new detective on the squad, Jared Padwack, or something like that. He was tall and broad with a slim waist and big hands. Jared looked back at him through his long chestnut hair, slanted hazel eyes sparkling with mirth. He bit his lower lip and continued to dance with the petite red head plastered to him. Jensen took another swig of liquid courage before swaying towards the dance floor. He filtered easily through the sparse dance floor and held out a hand. Jared un glued himself from the fire cracker and grabbed ahold of Jensen’s hand. He pulled him in close, dancing chest to chest and crotch to crotch. Jared used the hand still in his grasp to spin Jensen in a circle and Jensen threw his head back to laugh. Jared pulled him back in and bent his head low, lips on Jensen’s ear, “You have a beautiful laugh.”

Jensen grinned up at him, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his head down to his, “I bet you tell that to all the lead detectives.”

Jared laughed low in his chest as he brought Jensen in even closer, arm wrapped around his back and palm spread out on his lower back, “You also have a spectacular ass.”

Jensen placed his lips on the shell of Jared’s ear and eased a hand up the side of Jared’s neck, “You’re welcome to have a closer look.”

Jared took in a large gulp of air, hand twitching nervously. His palm was sweaty in Jensen’s and he was blushing feverishly. Jensen found it incredibly adorable, and not just because he was drunk. Jensen stilled there steady dance movements and wrapped his fingers around the back of Jared’s neck. He raised up on his toes slowly, lips barely brushing Jared’s parted ones. Jensen waited, breathing puffs of air across Jared’s mouth until Jared surged down. Capturing Jensen’s lips with his own and devouring them. Heat rushed to Jensen’s crotch and his breath stuck in his chest. Lights burst forth behind Jensen’s closed eyelids as he open his mouth and allowed Jared’s tongue entrance. He ran his teeth gently over Jared’s lips as they pulled away gasping. Jensen eased away slowly, unwrapping from Jared’s embrace.

“I should go, I’ve got an early shift.” Jared stood there dumbfounded for a moment. He nodded tentatively bringing a hand up to his lips.

“So, I’ll see you at work.” Jared replied quietly, a shy smile tilting his wide mouth.  
“Yeah, I’ll see you.” Then Jensen walked away, he didn’t have to look back to know Jared was watching.

Jared looked over at Jensen and grinned; it had taken a while to figure out that relationship. Six months of being on his toes around Jensen, having casual conversation in passing and then getting groped in the evidence locker. Then Jensen finally asked him out and they had to file paper work with the department, to excuse them from any sexual harassment suits, and remove the department from any fault if the relationship were to lead to misconduct. It was a year from that first kiss before they actually held hands out on the street, but now, coming up on their 2 year anniversary, Jared was certain it was all worth it. Jensen caught his attention by drumming on the steering wheel and mouthing along to ‘My Heart Will Go On’ as it played on the radio and Jared smiled. Yeah, it was definitely worth it.

“Feel like pancakes before we head in?” Jared asked as Jensen pulled into the police station parking lot. Jensen unlocked the door and climbed out.

“Hell yeah!” Jensen replied over his shoulder, already stalking towards the Diner across the street. Jared jogged to catch up with him and Jensen slipped his hand into Jared’s as they crossed the road. He swung the diner door open and held it open for Jared to glide through.

“Such a gentleman.” Jared winked, settling into their usual booth in the corner. He spread out his  
arms over the backs of the vinyl seats and gazed out the newly squeegeed windows onto the street. Jensen slid into the booth across from him and mirrored his movement. He toyed with the corner of the laminated menu but he already knew exactly what he’d get. Bela teetered up to their booth and whipped out her notepad. Jensen gave her a playful wink and Bela ran a hand through her brown bob.

“I’m guessing you’ll have the usual.” Bela wondered, smirk playing on her lips. Jared nodded happily and Jensen gave her a shit eating grin, “Careful you’ll make Jared jealous. Don’t know how you got him in the first place…”

“My ass.” Jensen replied in a mock serious tone. Bela giggled and tucked her hair behind her ear.  
“I’ll have your food out in a minute. Practically have it on tap by now.” She walked away swaying her slim hips. Jensen leaned his head back against the booth and took in a hearty breath, the scent of greasy bacon and dark roast coffee brightening his mood. Jared watched avidly as Jensen blinked open owlish green eyes, a smile tugging his mouth.

“I’m running to the grocery store tonight, anything not on the list you need?” Jared questioned, amusement coloring in his tone because there was always something ‘not on the list’. Jensen seemed to have an aversion to the magnetic pad of paper adhered to the refrigerator door, maybe purple polka dots made him itch, whatever the reason he never wrote down what they were lacking. This habit usually ended with Jared having dry cereal or bitter coffee untamed by any sort of creamer, it was always Jared who seemed to suffer. Jensen could eat anything, no seriously anything, Jared once watched him scrape mold off a piece of bread and then slather the dented can of tuna, which had sat at the back of the pantry since before Jared had even moved in, on it and devour it without a morsel of remorse.

“We’re out of milk.” Jensen replied after a moment of concentration. Jared sighed, at least he was being spared stale cheerios. A white porcelain coffee cup was placed carefully in Jared’s view along with a packet of creamer. Jensen eagerly grabbed his mug with both hands and inhaled a mouthful of the bitter liquid, Jared winced at the steam pouring from the cup but Jensen seemed un bothered. Jared emptied his creamer packet and snatched up some Sweet and Low to douse the brown sludge until it was a caramel brown and frothing with undigested sugar along the edges. Jensen took a glance at it and winced. Jared smiled over the rim of his mug and lapped at the liquid.  
The diner door swung open, bronze bell slugging tiredly, and an older gentleman stepped inside. He had dark hair that was peppered with age and lines around his mouth from years of unease. He wrung his hands and shrugged off his coat, tugging a grey scarf from around his throat. Jensen twisted slightly in the booth to take account of the newcomer and a look of bewilderment overtook his features. “Morgan?”

The man, Morgan, turned towards the voice and a grin broke across his face. Jared suddenly felt he had misjudged his age. He couldn’t be more than his late 40s when he smiled. Morgan hunkered over to their booth and dropped down beside Jensen throwing a long arm over his shoulders. “Jensen, my boy, it’s good to see you.”

Jen beamed brightly at the man for a moment before catching Jared in his peripherals, “Oh um Jared this is my old partner and mentor Detective Jeffrey Morgan.” His hand waggled between the two gentleman and he blushed slightly, “and Morgan this is Jared, my…uhh… partner.”  
Jared thrust a hand forward, firmly grasping Morgan’s palm and giving an aggressive shake. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“I hope you’re taking good care of my boy here, he can be a bit reckless.” Morgan jested tightening his grip on Jensen’s shoulders for a moment in a show of familiarity. Jensen’s eyes fell to the table, crimson spilling over his cheeks and the peaks of his ears.  
“Oh, I’m quite aware.” Jared countered hand snaking across the table to take Jen’s in his own grip. “I think it was last Tuesday when Jen decided tackle a woman out of the way of a bullet. Funny thing was it was actually just a car backfiring… yeah he got a kick to the nuts for that one.”

Morgan practically cackled and Jensen’s entire face flamed at the story, “I guess he’s still trying to play bad ass-hero.”

Even though it was said in humor Jensen still winced at the comment. A slight tightening of the eyes, barely noticeable unless you were watching, and Jared was always watching. “Well, I think he does a pretty good job of it. I mean someone has to save the city, right?”  
Jared winked and was rewarded with a twitch at the side of Jensen’s mouth. Morgan’s smile remained steadfast as he retracted his arm and began to lever up from the table, “It was a pleasure seeing you again Jensen, nice to meet you Jared, but I was just here to pick up an order so I better get going. We’ll have to catch up soon.”

“Good to see you.” Jensen concurred as Jared waved energetically. Morgan gave once last grin and then grabbed a bag of food off the counter before waltzing out the door, the bell signaling his departure with its wheezy toll. “That man taught me everything I know about being a cop.”  
Jared opened his mouth to reply but before he could Bela returned with two steaming plates of food, balancing them on either outstretched hand. He gripped his fork and spread his napkin over his pant suit clad thighs as the pile of egg whites and toast was slid before him, but he couldn’t help ponder Jensen’s comment and think ‘then why have I never heard of Jeffrey Morgan?’


	3. Chapter 3

Jared scrubbed at blob of ketchup on his collar with a damp napkin as they entered the police department. Jensen kept snickering behind his hand at his boyfriend’s struggle to remove the red stain. Jared scowled. “You look like someone kicked your dog.”

“I look like you just squirted ketchup on my shirt.” Jared grumbled testily, eyes never drifting from the widening pink splotch.

“You reached for one of my fries!” Jensen explained, “I had to defend my territory.”

“Defend your territory? I’ll have to remember that when your cold feet dig into my thighs in the middle of the night.” Jared barked back, throwing the napkin in the waste bin in utter defeat.  
A small sigh escaped his partner’s lips, “Just soak it in warm water and then put some vinegar on it, it’ll be good as new.”

Jared smiled out of the side of his mouth, prepared to say something sarcastic about ‘Jensen’s feminine knowledge of stain removal’ but the ring of his phone cut him off. Jensen snatched his own off his belt and Jared knew, they had another case.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They arrived at the scene 10 minutes later to find it was already swarming with activity. It was a small townhouse wedged up close to its neighbors with a small wrought iron fence that was bowed inward, likely due to its proximity to New York City drivers. Jensen walked up first, shouldering his way up the flight of stairs that led to the yellow tape at the top of the landing. The stairwell was narrow and Jared had to angle his wide shoulders to walk up without scraping his arms on the walls. “It’s spaces like these that make me miss Texas.”

“I feel you man.” Jensen chuckled as he ducked under the crime scene tape. “What do we got Collins?”

“Great to see you too Ackles! I’m having a wonderful morning, thanks for asking.” Collins remarked sarcastically, throwing a glare over his shoulder. Misha Collins was the resident pathologist. He was a slight man with lean muscle and a shock of dark hair over crystal blue eyes. His tone was often crude and he had little time for sarcastic comments but he was good at his job and could be a pleasant man in that naïve sort of way. The man straightened out his lab coast, removing the liver thermometer with practiced ease and taking note of the reading.

“Morning Misha, how was your date last night? You took Vicki to that French place right? With that weird fish egg soup?” Jared interrupted, trying to ease the tension that always seemed to materialize between Jensen and Misha.

“It is fish eye soup Jared, but I appreciate your attempt at casual conversation. The dinner went pleasantly and Vicki seemed to enjoy herself. Would you like to know about the victim?” Misha replied without sparing a glance to Jensen’s eye roll. Jared nodded happily and crouched closer to the body of the young woman. She was young. Too young to be dead. Her hair was a striking blonde, the natural blonde which shimmered like honey, not the platinum often a casualty of the box dye. She had blue eyes, Jared was sure they were beautiful when she was alive but now they were blank and dull. Glossed over with fluid. Eyes open and staring at the pop corned ceiling and at her absent future.

“Amy Anderson, she was 25 years old and a student at Borough of Manhattan Community College. She died from a stab wound to the chest, it appears to be a blade of some sort with serrated edges due to the tearing at the edge of the wound. The ‘knife’ grazed the heart enough to allow a slow bleed which eventually led to death by exsanguination.” Misha looked up from his crouched position beside the deceased and raised an eyebrow as Jensen cleared his throat noisily.

“That college speak for blood loss?” Jensen pestered, wide grin causing an annoyed heat to rise on Misha’s cheeks. Misha nodded tightly, condescending cadence to his eyes as he continued.

“There doesn’t appear to be any sexual assault due to a lack of vaginal tearing or bruising and there are no defensive wounds. Likely due to the fact she was unconscious at the time of mutilation, the residue around her mouth appears to be chloroform but I’ll test it to be positive.” Misha described detached, he swapped the corners of her mouth with cotton, placing the evidence in a long test tube.

“What’s in her mouth?” Jared wondered aloud, pointing a gloved finger to a yellowed paper which poked out from her parted blue lips. Misha gave him a curious look before probing a gloved finger past her slack lips and fishing out the note. He held it up, pinched between two fingers, saliva coated the sheet and Misha carefully unfurled it. Jared bent closer to gaze over Misha’s shoulder and read, “ ‘In visions of the dark night/ I have dreamed of joy departed- but a waking dream of life and light/ Hath left me broken-hearted.’ Any clue what the hell that means?”

Jared looked about and noted a sudden drop in the atmosphere. Misha had gone grey and quickly bagged the evidence before he scurried away with cell phone in hand, shaky fingers stabbing at the buttons. Jared looked up to Jensen and swallowed nervously at what he saw. Jensen had gone completely white. His forehead was clammy with a cold sweat and his blunt nails dug cresants into his palms, knuckles creaking at the tight fist. His shoulders jerked shakily to allow for air to enter his lungs but his face was already blushing red with lack of oxygen, “Jen?”

“He’s back.” Jensen stated simply, voice cracking, before his eyes swept over to Jared, “The Poe Killer is back.”

Jared bit into his bottom lip and dug through his memory. He had heard that name back when he was a rookie but he couldn’t remember any details about the case. “I’ve heard that name before.”

“I’d be surprised if you hadn’t. The Poe Killer killed 10 women 7 years ago before disappearing. It was always like this, young female found in her home with a stab wound to the chest and no defensive wounds. There was always a poem by Edgar Allan Poe wedged in her mouth, hence the name. We almost caught him. The last woman he murdered had slipped her phone into his pocket before she bled out and we tracked the GPS number to his next murder sight but when we got there the phone was clutched in his victim’s hand, a Raven was saved as the screen saver. Then the bastard disappeared, hasn’t killed again until now.” There was a rough tone in the speech, an intimate knowledge of the crime; this wasn’t just a cold case that Jensen had studied.

“How do you know so much about the case?” Jared questioned straightening up from his crouched position, tensing in anticipation of the answer he feared.

“It was about two years after I became detective and two years before you joined the force. I was assigned to the case, I figured out the whole cellphone thing when I searched the house and couldn’t find her phone. Who in this day and age doesn’t have a cell phone? But I figured it out too late. Anyway, my partner at the time, Morgan, took the loss real hard and retired. I guess we all took it real hard. We were so close Jared, if I had just figured it out a moment sooner…and now he’s back! And this girl is dead because I didn’t catch him last time.” Jensen clenched his jaw and screwed his eyes shut.

Jared tried to walk towards him for comfort but Jensen was already on the move, ducking under the yellow crime scene tape and galloping down the stairs two at a time. He halted on the middle step with a thud of his black dress shoe and Jared had to grasp the wooden rail in order to halt his momentum. Daylight spilled in from the open doorway at the stair landing, casting a ring of luminous light around Jensen’s silhouette. They stalled for a moment, Jared’s shoes squeaky on the narrow slats of the steps and fidgeting in the narrow passageway. His fingers twitched to reach out. Jensen rounded on him, “We have to find this guy Jare.”

“We will Jen, you’re the best cop I know.” Jensen stared up at him with large green eyes. He looked lost. His bottom lip twitched minutely before he swiveled and thudded down the remaining steps. As he strode away the wind carried his muttered words billowing in his wake.

“That’s what I used to think too.” Jared winced. He waited in the stairwell a moment. The fabric covering his shoulders brushed against the chipped paint on the walls as he fiddled from foot to foot. One large hand remained wrapped around the dark wooden hand rail and his palm became moist against the grain. Jensen didn’t question himself. He railroaded suspects and barged into crime scenes, he didn’t run away or question his gut. Jared walked outside, feet brushing the cement. The car was empty. Jared swiveled his head from side to side searching for his partner but all he could find was uniform cops and a couple of nosey neighbors. He rounded the side of the building, head poking out around the corner. Jensen was braced against the wall, knee bent at a 90 degree angle with his foot planted against the wall. He had a cigarette dangly between his lips.

“You don’t smoke.” Jensen looked up through his eyelashes to take in the new arrival, he looked away languidly. His gaze landed back on the lighter threaded between his fingers. He twirled the metal across his knuckles like it was familiar to him. He dragged in a deep breath and released the dark smoke in an exhale.

“I quit.” His voice hoarse with ash. He took another drag. Jared waltzed toward him slowly, leaning against the wall beside him, shoulders barely brushing.

“This was quitting looks like?” Tone casual, Jared kept his eyes front, tracing the cracks of the building next door. They embraced the stillness for a moment. The bustle in front of the building, the chaos on the other side of the wall, all melting away. It was just Jared, Jensen, and a thin line of grey smoke trailing across Jensen’s breath. Jared took the cigarette between his fingers and stuck it between his lips, sucking in a breath. He tossed it the grass and ground it beneath his heel.

“These things will kill you.” Jared turned his head to find Jensen smirking at him. He brought up a large palm and cupped Jensen’s cheek, thumb brushing over the stubble of his jaw. Jensen took in a shaky breath, left hand grasping Jared’s thin gently and tugging down his bottom lip. Jared moved willingly into the kiss. It was tender and soft, an intimate brush of skin from two people in need of contact. Jensen pulled back first, pupils blown wide and lips kiss swollen.

Then he walked away


	4. Chapter 4

Jared straightened up, stretching his arm up above his head until a reluctant pop released from his spine. He glanced down to his watch 12:00 they had been combing over these case files for 4 hours and so far they hadn’t learned anything more than what was already typed up. He looked over to Jensen who was still buried in a stack of old Poe files. He was hunched over with his finger sweeping under every letter, scrutinizing every comma and semi colon like they held the answer. Jared really doubted it. If there had been something to find, Jensen would have found it 7 years ago. Jared’s stomach growled out its distaste with the lack of food causing Jared to stand and grab his jacket. “Let’s grab some lunch Jen, it’s already noon.”

“Just bring me back a sandwich or something.” Jensen muttered into the file he was currently digesting. Jared sighed unhappily and gave his best pout. Apparently puppy eyes were quite ineffective when not actually looked at.

“Jensen you need a break, just come eat some food and look at something other 12 point font.” Jared pleaded, leaning onto Jensen’s desk and placing his hand in the middle of the file Jensen was attempting to read.

“I don’t want a break Jared. I want to find this guy.” Jensen grumbled before finally looking up, “Besides I’m pretty sure I typed this in 11 point font.”  
Jared gave a huff and removed his hand, allowing Jensen to go back to reading. “Fine. But I’m totally bringing you tuna on rye.”

Jared stalled for a moment, waiting for a snappy remark, Jensen curled over the files. He walked away, grin dampened. Jensen watched Jared go. As he cleared the doorway Jensen leaned back, chair squealing and back popping, and scrubbed a calloused palm over his mouth. Glassy green eyes went dry under fluttering lashes. He could see them. Porcelain skin still tight with youth and wrinkles filled in by innocence. Their torsos brutalized under pale pink blouses and college hoodies. Skin split and entrails at the mercy of the elements. He blinked. Clearing out his throat of the memories, scratchy and choking. He hunched forward and stared at the stack of files he had yet to go through, his elbow precariously balanced over the victim’s picture. There wouldn’t be anything there. He had combed those files periodically ever since Poe went underground and he never found anything new. “Dammit.”

Jensen stood and strode over to the elevator pressing the down arrow and letting his mind run full blast. He couldn’t let this bastard get away again every murder this guy committed was now on his head. If he had just been faster… the elevator arrived. Jensen entered and pressed the button for the morgue. He waited for the doors to fully close before he relaxed his shoulders and kneaded at his aching neck. Jensen had never minded the morgue, he had seen a lot of dead bodies in his time on the force and most had been in way worse shape than having a Y cut into their chests with their insides on display. The doors slid open and Jensen stepped out, he set his shoulders and rolled his neck before entering. “Hey Collins, have you figured anything else out.”

Misha turned around with bloody plastic gloves on and a clear plastic mask perched on his head. He looked ready to give a snarky reply but took one look at Jensen’s bunched muscles and tense posture and thought better of it. Jensen was grateful. “Well it was definitely chloroform used according to the tox screen, but there is one interesting new development. She didn’t die from the stab wound, someone injected her with a lethal dose of morphine first.”

“That wasn’t in any of his earlier victims. Do you think this is still Poe?” Jensen didn’t even know what he hoped to hear. No, he’s truly lost forever. Yes, congratulations this girl is dead because of you. No answer would have put him at ease.

“No, it has to be him, or somebody intimately familiar with the case. It’s just the same as the other murders; no evidence left behind, no finger prints or DNA, nothing. This guy knows what he’s doing.” Misha explained, wrist deep in the corpse on the table.

Jensen shoved his hands in his pockets, “Yeah he sure does…”

“What are you thinking?” Misha wondered, picking up on the thoughtful look on Jensen’s face.

“It just bugs me how he knew our plan all those years ago, he didn’t only find the phone, he screwed with our heads. I mean, he knew we were tracking it and he knew when we would arrive. It just… bugs me.” Jensen contemplated. “Just let me know if you find anything.”

“Sure thing Ackles.” Misha replied turning back to autopsy, “And Ackles,”

Jensen stopped mid stride, finger raised to the up button at the elevator. “Yeah?”

“Nothing he does is on you.” Jensen stilled for a moment before pressing the up arrow. He waited for the elevator to arrive and to climb inside before daring to turn back around but Misha was already weighing the cranium saw in his gloved hands. The buzz of the machinery droned out Jensen’s low words.

“I wish that were true.” Jensen mumbled to himself quietly, and he let the elevator carry him back up to his desk full of files.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jensen didn’t get home till 4 a.m., which was eight hours after his shift was supposed to end. He didn’t even want to leave but the Chief had kicked him out after his sixth visit to the coffee machine. He said that Jensen must really need some rest if he was willing to drink that crap in a cup. He closed the door to the apartment as quietly as he could, knowing Jared was probably asleep. He had gone home around 1 a.m. when he fell asleep on his desk. He had shuffled out with a paper still stuck to cheek and Jensen had made him promise to text him so he knew he got home and didn’t fall asleep at the wheel. Jensen peeked into the bedroom and saw Jared sprawled over the bedspread, phone in hand, and he had only bothered to take of his shoes and belt. Jensen smiled softly and moved quietly toward the bathroom.

He looked like hell. His eyes were blood shot with large rings underneath, his tie was crooked, and his hair has standing up in unruly tuffs from running his fingers through it all day. He splashed his face with cold water and pealed his contacts from where they were super glued to his eyeballs before toeing off his shoes and removing his belt. He left a trail of clothes in his wake as he made his way to the bed. He just needed a little nap, then he could focus on the case again. He set the alarm for the normal 6 a.m. and collapsed beside Jared. Jared snuffled in his sleep and threw an arm around Jensen’s waist, shimming his head to press his forehead against the base of Jensen’s neck.

“I love you.” Jensen told him quietly, eyes sealed and breathe already evening out. He felt Jared’s soft puffs of air against his neck, and listened to the slight snore he gave every couple of breathes before he deliberately released all the tension locked in his muscles and slipped into blessed unconsciousness.  
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“Fuck.” Jensen muttered as the alarm sounded at 6 o’clock precisely. He rolled out from under Jared’s arm and shuffled to the coffee maker, he set it for almost double the usual number of cups and then maneuvered towards the bathroom to turn the shower on.

After he had scrubbed himself clean under the steamy spray and placed his contacts, in Jensen grabbed a cup of the fresh brewed coffee and gulped it down in three swallows before refilling. He drank the second cup while pulling on his clothes and the third while he strapped on his badge and gun. He was on his fourth cup by the time Jared clumsily tripped into the kitchen with his shaggy hair dripping and his tie hanging untied around his collar. Jensen drained his mug yet again and relished in the buzz of caffeine that his system was running on. He poured his fifth cup. Jared pushed wet bangs from his eyes and grabbed a mug, pouring the rest of the pot into his cup. “Jen have you already had three cups of coffee? I usually set this for four and there is only one cup left.”

Jensen just shrugged and went back to sucking up the caffeine in his cup. He had to be awake to catch a killer. He snatched the keys off the counter and was about to head to the car when noticed how much his hands were shaking. Maybe five cups of coffee in an hour was a bit much, Jensen speculated as he stared and the trembling keys. Then he pictured Amy, with her blue eyes and no future, and he took another sip.

“You’re driving.” He said tossing the keys to Jared who was in the middle of balancing a coffee cup and hooking his badge onto his suit pants.

“Two days in a row? You feeling okay?” Jared joked, but then he saw the tremble in Jensen’s hands and the painful tension in his shoulders and his smile fell.

“I’m fine Jare, just ready to finally solve this case.” Jensen replied and he turned on his heels and began walking towards the car.

“I know this case is hard for you Jen, if you ever need to talk…” Jared tried to catch up, keys jangling as he strutted forward on long legs.

“You don’t know. You’ve never let a murderer go free.” Jensen snapped. Jared stalled for a moment, hurt radiating from his big eyes. Jensen sighed deeply and turned to his boyfriend, “I’m sorry, you’re right, this is a hard case for me. You know I’m not good with the vulnerable thing but if I need to talk I promise you are the first person I will go to.”

“I know baby, I’m just worried about you.” Jared replied giving Jensen a peck on the lips, “You  
taste like coffee.”

“Yeah well that happens when you have five cups of it.” Shit. He cringed as soon as he said it.

“Five cups? Five cups in an hour Jen? Are you trying to give yourself a stroke?” Jared questioned, frustration and worry waging a war on his face. “Jesus Jen.”

“It’s just coffee…” Jensen tried to deter.

“And it’s only day two of this case. It’s day two and already you are trembling from a caffeine overdose, Jensen just promise you will try to take care of yourself.” Jared pleaded grabbing Jensen by the shoulders before he could climb into the passenger seat. Jensen shook his head, exasperated look on his face, “Promise me.”

“I can’t Jared. I can’t.” Jensen wrenched out of Jared’s grip and plopped down in the passenger seat. Jared stood stalk still for a moment. Surprised by the turn in events. Jared walked around to the driver side, slid in, and waited. After a moment Jensen closed the door and adjusted his legs to face forward, “I can’t because I promised myself 7 years ago that I would take care of those girls. That I would find their killer. I guess I didn’t take care of Amy very well.”

They sat there in silence for a moment. “When I was eight, I was playing with my little sister in the yard. We were playing superman and the game was that we would pretend that a bad guy had taken Meagan, my sister, and I would swoop in and save the day. We thought it was a great idea for the evil villain to capture her and take her to his evil lair in this tree we had in the yard. So Meagan began to climb up, but one of the branches broke and she fell. She broke her leg in three places. She lived, and she healed, but we never played super hero again. I was never her hero again.”

“Jared that isn’t the same…” Jared’s eyes were wet with unshed tears but Jensen couldn’t bear to look. He was already drowning in his own guilt.

“The hell it’s not!” Jared snapped. “It wasn’t my fault Meagan fell and it isn’t your fault that those girls died and we need to stop living with guilt from it! I realize it isn’t to the same magnitude Jen, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t do everything we can to find this guy, but I want you to still be you when we find this guy.”

“Jared…”

“You will always be my hero Jensen Ackles.”

Jensen gave a watery smile and wrapped his arms around Jared’s neck. He pressed his face into the crook of his neck and just breathed. For the first time since Jared read that poem he just breathed. “I promise.”

Jared tugged him in tighter, forearms pressing the shorter man tight to his chest. He smiled into his hair, spiked hair tickling his nostrils. He breathed in deep, coffee and cologne coating his lungs. Then the phone rang. Tension sprang through the muscles of Jensen’s shoulder. Jensen reluctantly pulled away to answer. Fingers digging into his crinkled suit pockets. Jared didn’t need to hear a word to know what had happened.

They had another body.


	5. Chapter 5

Jared parked the car outside of the apartment building that housed their latest crime scene. It was a plain beige-stained building lacking even a fence to protect against unwanted intruders, and the metal gate which was theoretically set to slide over the front door was quite obviously in poor condition. This was the type of place Poe was migrated towards. Places with little to no security…damn coward.

The ride had been silent ever since the call from the Captain. Jared glanced over to Jensen in the passenger seat. His lips were two thin, white lines pressed together in a grimace. The laugh lines around his eyes were deep crevices that split up from the skin, like cracks from the inside. He looked worn down. Jared reached out but Jensen shrugged off his boyfriend’s large paw and exited the car without even glancing back. Jared let his hand drop and a rush of air escape from his lips before clambering out himself.

“Hope this isn’t another stairwell built for stick thin models.” Jared joked lightly, jogging to catch up with Jensen’s determined stride. Jensen rewarded him a tight lipped smile but he didn’t slow his pace. Jared caught a man with a laminated badge hanging around his neck by the shoulder, “What floor is the crime scene?”

The cop had long brown hair tied back by a ponytail, a few silky strands creating a fringed frame around his tan face. Jared towered over him by his head and shoulders, but the man was stocky with expansive shoulders. Jensen had halted his pace altogether and was considering the newcomer pensively, “Chris?”

“Ackles?” The man questioned, a syrupy Texan accent lying thick over the name. Immediately, the man’s tired eyes lit up and he pushed past Jared to pull Jensen into the sweep of his arms. Jensen returned the embrace with clawed hands and a smile broke across his features. Jared stood to the side, hand still hanging limply in the air from where he had placed it on the guy, Chris’s, shoulder. “Man it’s good to see you.”

Jensen broke the embrace but kept his hands firmly planted on either side of his friend’s neck. “When did you get back? You went back to Texas right? Dude why didn’t you call me?”  
Chris chuckled and gave a tight squeeze to Jensen’s bicep and Jared moved closer to the pair, with his nerves on high alert. Jared wasn’t really the jealous type but this guy was touching his boyfriend a bit too much for his liking. “I’m just visiting man.”

Jensen just smiled for a moment before noticing Jared who was creeping closer. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and the muscles of his neck were corded and bulging. It was kind of hot. Jensen slipped around Chris and placed a reassuring hand on his boyfriend’s forearm. “Chris, this is my boyfriend Jared, Jared this is my friend Chris.”

“Pleasure.” Jared stuck his hand out in greeting but his posture was still ram rod straight and his eyes issued a challenge. He placed his other palm flat on Jensen’s lower back possessively.

“Chris joined the force around the time I did, we kind of connected over both being from Texas. Haven’t seen him since he went back to Texas when his momma got sick. We kept in touch for the first few years but I didn’t expect his to stay away for the better part of a decade!” Jensen teased, leaning back into Jared’s touch.

Chris gave a Cheshire grin, “I didn’t expect to stay either! But then, after momma passed, I had a lot of stuff to take care of. Find her will, divvy out her property, things like that, and once I was done I had already built up a life. I met someone, her name is Sandy, and we’ve been dating about four years now. Dude you would like her, she puts up with about as much of my crap as you do.”

Jensen’s smile faltered as a thought occurred to him, “Why are you visiting a crime scene, Chris?”  
Chris swallowed dryly, “I just…”

“Don’t give me some shit excuse, just tell me the truth.” Jensen snapped, and Chris looked away guiltily.

“Captain Kripke called me. Told me that The Poe Killer was back. He’s worried about you Jen, after last time…” Chris trailed of as Jensen shot him a heated look. Jensen bit into his bottom lip and tensed under Jared’s hand.

“He had no right to…” Jensen grumbled unhappily, “I’m fine Chris, there was no need for you to fly all the way out here. I’m going to catch him this time, no matter what.”  
Jensen excavated himself from Jared’s hold and stalked to the elevator, climbing on with a crime scene photographer. He gave one more dirty look Chris’s way before the steel doors slid closed. Chris gave an exasperated sigh and rubbed at the base of his neck, “That’s what I’m worried about”

“So,” Jared cleared his throat, “You knew Jensen the last time the Poe Killer was around?”

“Yeah, I knew him. Jared, there is something you need to know.” Jared straightened up and re crossed his arms, nodding his encouragement to go on, “Not catching this guy nearly killed Jen. He went a week after the whole cellphone incident without sleeping and the only thing he really ingested was coffee. The one thing that finally shocked him into taking care of himself was when he passed out while chasing down a junkie. He was on an I.V. and in the hospital for two days. So just…try to watch out for him. Jensen is his own worst enemy sometimes, and this Poe bastard just seems to bring out the self-destructive in him.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him as best I can.” Jared acknowledged, loosening his stance a bit, “It was great of you to come all the way up here for him.”

Chris gave a lenient smile, “Jensen has a way of finding the soft spot in people. Don’t know how he does it with how abrasive he can be…but he’s a good friend and a good man. Take care of him.”  
Jared smiled gently as he pictured Jensen from two mornings ago, sleep ruffled and young. “I will.”  
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Jensen exited the elevator on floor 17, flashing his badge to one of the cops attempting at crowd control. News reporters and neighbors clogged the hallways, all trying to press forward and catch an eyeful of whatever happened in that taped off room. Jensen lowered his gaze and shouldered his way into the room, “Collins?”

Misha didn’t even bother to throw a look over his shoulder before spouting off the facts, “Michelle Cartright. Brown hair, green eyes. 24 years old. She worked at that sandwich shop down the block. Died from a stab wound to the chest, serrated blade. There are no defensive wounds but there is residue around her mouth which I’m almost certain is chloroform. There is nothing new Ackles.”

“Dammit.” Jensen took in shaky breathe, “Did you find anything in her mouth?”

Misha nodded solemnly and produced a pieces of paper. Jensen snapped on a pair of rubber gloves before taking the small parchment in his hand. ’But our love it was stronger by far than the love/ of those who were older than we/ And neither the angels in heaven above, /Nor the demons down under the sea/ Can ever dissever my soul from the soul/ Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.’  
Jensen slipped the paper back into Misha’s palm and began to scan the crime scene. He kept his eyes averted from the victim, guilt already beginning to settle heavy in his gut. She was so young. Jensen moved through the living room and passed a hand over a couple pictures, hand trembling over the beaded frames. A huge grin split her face as she wrapped her arms around two middle aged adults, which from their features, had to be her parents. She has her mother’s blue eyes. Had. Jensen swallowed thickly.

The pad of his thumb ran over the blue satin graduation gown draping her in the picture. She had so much yet to do. Jensen spotted a piece of notebook paper peeking out from an oak box on the desk. His boots thumped heavily on the plush carpet his hand stalling over the box, fingers scrunching in their latex encasing. He slid the paper out gently, smoothing it with careful fingers. To Do List. Jensen felt sick and his throat constricted. Heat suddenly began to crawl up his neck and prickle the hair at the base of his neck, and sweat beaded on his forehead and upper lip. The air was stifling. Jensen dropped the notebook paper and made a beeline for the door, dropping his gloves in the waste container as he went. He pressed through the jungle of reporters and reached the fire escape, wrenching the window open he climbed out and sucked in a breath.  
He stood there for a moment, just breathing in the fresh air and letting the wind dry his sweaty neck. He crouched down low, salty tears beginning to spill over his bottom lids and slip down his cheeks. Suddenly muscular arms were wrapping around his shoulders and he was being swallowed up in a familiar aftershave. Jensen relaxed into his boyfriend’s grasp and released a broken sob, the floodgates opening as new tears sprung forward and dripped down his face.

“It’s going to be okay Jen.” Jared soothed, his voice rumbling from where Jensen’s head was pressed against his chest. Jensen couldn’t bring his vocal chords to respond so he shook his head and curled into the embrace.

“She was so young Jare, she had so much still to do and now… now she’s dead and I didn’t stop it.” Jensen sobbed harder, words coming out broken and garbled.

“This wasn’t your fault. You are doing everything you can to catch this bastard.” Jared assured, stroking a warm palm up and down his sobbing boyfriend’s back. He pressed his face into short spiky hair and attempted to reign in his own emotion as he felt Jensen’s muscles tremble in his hold.

“Then why haven’t I caught him? Why isn’t this bastard rotting in jail? Maybe I’m just not good enough…” Jensen replied brokenly, Jared pulled back. He set his hands on Jensen’s shoulders and looked straight into swollen and puffy green eyes.

“Don’t you ever think that! You are not in this alone. We will catch this guy Jen, I promise. Don’t lose hope.” Jensen sniffled and nodded, wiping a shaky hand under his nose. “We will find him.”

“When Jare? How many more girls are going to die first?” Jensen ground out through a sniveling sob. He pulled back, throwing his arms wide in exasperation, “Because I’m out of ideas! I’ve hit a dead end and no matter how many more bodies pile up we aren’t finding any more clues! This guy is to smart, he…”

He went still. A look of wonderment and terror filling up his tight features. Jared stepped into his personal space, tentatively taking him by his shoulders, “What is it Jen?”

“He knows exactly what cops are going to look for. He knows exactly what to not leave behind. Jared, what if he’s a cop? What if the Poe Killer has been working right alongside us all this time?” His pitch began to climb with a mixture of dread and disgust as the theory began to formulate. A slight tremor shook his upper body and his stomach began to roll with nausea at the idea of working with this butcher for years and not even realizing it.

“Oh fuck.” Jared muttered, running his fingers through the long strands of his hair in a nervous habit. He dropped his arms and began pacing the small fire escape. His boots thudded on the metal grating heavily, causing it to groan in protest.

“Jared.” Jensen’s voce came out a whimper and tears stood wetly in his eyes. Jared’s heart climbed up his throat in anxiety. “Can it just be a coincidence that Chris showed up at the exact times the killing started back up?”

His voice was broken, raw with emotion and catching in his throat in a painful tugging. Jared grabbed hold of his lover, trying desperately to hold him together. Jensen buried his face in Jared’s chest and breathed in deep. Long limbs wrapped around him securely and fine pieces of hair tickled the base of his neck. He felt a rumble against his cheek as Jared replied, “God I hope so.”  
“Jared would you mind looking… looking into him. My view would be compromised and…” Jared carted hand through Jensen’s short cropped blond hair too soothe him.

“You don’t have to explain. We’re in this together.” Jensen nodded, sighing for a moment before detangling him-self.

“I’ll meet back up with you this evening.” He turned on his heels and crawled back into the window, solemn mask carefully put back into place.

“Where are you going?” Jared called into the window, 6 foot 5 framed cramped down and compressed. Jensen turned back, a genuine smile biting at the corners of his chapped lips.

“Back to the past.” Jared began to ask what the hell that meant but knew he wouldn’t get an answer, so he folded his large body back inside and started back downstairs. He saw Chris on the way out. Chris looked at him, mouth tilting up at the edges. Jared kept walking. He didn’t return the smile


	6. Chapter 6

Jared balanced a tall stack of manila files across the bridge of his clasped arms. The papers perched on the brim ruffled with each step and he titled his mouth upward to keep from blowing them off equilibrium with his breath. He plopped them down in a precarious pile on his desk and landed heavily in his desk chair. He slid the top folder from the stack and dangled a highlighter between his fingers. He popped the cap off with his teeth and began scanning the small print.  
“Hey Officer Padalecki, have you seen Jensen?” A thick Texan accent dolled from a few feet away. Jared’s head snapped up, bangs bouncing in to his eyes as he stared wide eyed at Christian Kane. He tried discreetly to place an arm over the name on the file, letting his back groan and crackle in order to feign a stretch.

“He went to check out a lead.” Jared replied carefully, his voice calm and collected but adequately friendly. Just like an undercover job. Kane’s face was lined with worry, his lip gnawed nearly bloody from chewing on it. Jared found it hard to believe a man like that was responsible for the serial murder of so many young woman. As Kane stalked toward the main doors, Jared focused his attention back on the folders.

After a third of the stack was marked with bright yellow ink and Jared’s neck was almost immobile with stiffness, he felt as though he knew Kane to well. He knew his SAT scores, his career path, even his police academy’s sergeant’s names, but there was nothing to insinuate he had a side hobby of slicing and dicing up females. Jared grabbed at the Poe Killer box sitting at the edge of his desk, he dug out a stack of marked folders. Jared stretched out an arm for the manila cardstock on top of the pile and slid it in front of him. He glanced at the black ink, spelling out the name of the subject whose personal information the file contained and furrowed his brow in confusion. He flipped the file open and took notice to the already highlighted segments.

Jared grabbed for his keyboard and searched the data base, cringing when he found what he was looking for. Shit. Adrenaline rushed through his veins; he needed to call Jensen.  
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“Morgan open up! It’s Jensen!” Jensen called from his old partner’s front porch. Jeffrey Morgan had apparently moved from his small apartment in New York City and now lived in petite one story, just outside of Manhattan. Jensen had looked up the address on the police database and driven out directly from the crime scene. He glanced around the property after banging one more time on the door and took in the well-kept lawn and trimmed bushes lining the porch. The paint was White and appeared relatively new with only a few cracks and green trim encircling the doorway and windows. “Man I know you’re home, I can see your car.”

He heard a hushed curse from the other side of the door before it swung open enough for the face of his former partner to be peer through. Jeff was a good ten years older than him but from what Jensen saw he had stayed in good physical shape. He hand a few more lines around his dark brown eyes and there was a good smattering of salt in paper in his hair now but other than that, he hadn’t changed much. Jeff scrubbed at his bearded chin before opening the door wide enough for Jensen to enter. “I figured you would come for a visit once I saw that article about Poe in the newspaper. Jensen I left after that for a reason.”

Jensen nodded solemnly and wandered past Jeff into the living room. The room was neat with little clutter, there were a few picture frames on the mantle and a painting of a horse hung over the couch. There were very few homely touches. Jensen shot a glance at Jeff’s left hand and saw that the gold band that used to encircle his finger was missing. Apparently, Samantha and he had divorced. “I’m sorry to pull you back in Jeff, I know this is hard on you. God I know this is hard. But I’m at a dead end, I could really use your help.”

Jeff sighed and wandered into living room, sitting heavily into the plush cushioned recliner across from where Jensen was standing. He motioned to the couch but Jensen declined and began roaming the room again. Jeff cleared his throat gruffly, “I don’t know how I can help you. Everything I know is in those reports.”

“There has to be something else. Something that maybe you thought was nothing at the time, something you didn’t type up. Jeff we have to be missing something.” Jensen pleaded, taking a couple steps towards the ex detective.

“Jen, even if there was something….It was 7 years ago. I doubt I could remember it.” Jeff conceded, shaking his head and hanging it to stare down at his hands grasped in his lap. Jensen gave an exasperated sigh and began to pace again. “I’m sorry Jen.”

“Is this Sam?” Jensen questioned, picking up a gold frame from the mantle and studying the beautiful blonde woman in the picture. She was sitting on a swing with her long blond hair billowing out behind her, a wide smile breaking across her face. “She looks so happy, sorry about the divorce.”

“How did you..?” Jeff began to question but Jensen taped his ring finger and Jeff chuckled dryly. “There was just too much sad between us.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Jensen wondered aloud thinking of Jared and how much they had been through. What could break up two people who truly loved each other? He studied the picture in his hands.

“Well after the car accident a while back things were rough, but we made it through. I guess neither of us really ever completely got over it. Then Poe came along and I became more distant. That was my fault, I don’t blame her for being angry. I suppose she was never truly happy after that, but she stuck around. Until a couple months ago. We got in a huge argument over the dishes, the fucking dishes, and she just said she couldn’t do this anymore and got in her car and left. She came back for her stuff the next day and mailed me the divorce papers, said it was easier for us both that way.” Jeff’s voice was thick with emotion; Regret. Longing. Anger. Jensen felt a pang in his chest over the thought of Jared leaving him like that.

“I’m sorry.” Morgan cleared his throat and dried his eyes more a moment before pushing himself to his feet. Jensen set the photo back on the mantle and turned to face his old partner. “Listen I came to you about something else too.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” Morgan questioned, folding his tanned arms across his chest. Jensen took a calming breath, he knew the severity of questioning a cop’s integrity. It never went pretty, especially if you were wrong.

“The Poe Killer knows too much. He knows about what not leave behind, about what cops look for, about how they work… and it got me thinking that maybe… well…” Jensen stumbled on his words, trying to find a delicate way to describe the predicament.

“Spit it out kid.” Morgan grated, agitation stretching his vocal chords.

“I think the Poe Killer is a cop.” Jensen replied bluntly. His cheeks were flaming red in embarrassment at the omission, and blood began to poor into Morgan’s face as well, but it appeared to be more in anger.

“That’s a real serious accusation.” Jensen nodded and swallowed hard, waiting for Morgan to make the next move. “You got any real proof? Any suspects?”

Chris Kane. “Nobody specific yet, it’s just a feeling in my gut.”

Morgan nodded, digesting the situation. “Well I need a beer. Want one?”

“I’m on duty.” Morgan gave a cracked chuckle and stalked off toward the kitchen, his entire body wound up tight. A sudden buzzing in his pocket caused Jensen to startle slightly before snatching his phone out. Jared.

“Detective Ackles speaking.”

“Jensen, where are you?” Jared’s voice was strained and worried.

“I’m at Morgan’s house, my ex partner.” Jensen replied matter of fact, trying to soothe Jared’s unease.

“Fuck. Jen, you need to get out there now.” Jensen nuzzled the phone closer, swiveling his torso  
towards the mantle and dropping his vice lower.

“What are you talking about Jared?” He hushed into the phone, a knot forming in the center of his chest.

“I was looking into Chris like you asked, and I found a file that he had on Jeffrey Morgan. Jen, he and his wife lost their daughter about 20 years ago. They were involved in car accident and a tree limb impaled her through the chest. When I saw that I decided to do a little more recent digging and I found out he and his wife got divorced right before the new killings started.” Jared rushed the words out, desperate and drowning in concern.

“I’ll admit that’s a pretty big coincidence but I need something a little more solid. Jared, I watched this guy’s six for years.” His eyes wandered over to the stone slab of mantle in front of him, stalling on the photograph of his swearing in. Morgan and he were smiling wide and carefree at the camera, his hand grasped in Morgan’s powerful paw. Morgan looked so damn proud.

“Well I was trying to figure out the tie to Edgar Allan Poe and at first I wasn’t finding any way to tie Morgan to him. But then I found this college syllabus for Samantha Morgan, Jeff’s wife, she was an English literature major and her senior thesis was on the tragic works of Edgar Allan Poe.”

A movement reflected in the glass picture frame.

Jensen dropped his hand and grasped for his gun on its holster but before he could snap the holster open an iron grip wrapped around his chest and a piece of fabric was placed over his nose. Jensen brought an arm up and clawed at the arm around his chest but his movements were frantic and weak as his brain was slowly deprived of oxygen. His phone slipped from his loosened grip and crashed to the floor. Don’t breathe in. Don’t breathe in. Jensen kicked back and nailed Morgan in the knee cap.

“Fuck!” Jeff cursed in pain, pressing the foul cloth more tightly over Jensen’s nose and mouth. Jensen knew he couldn’t hold his breathe much longer. He slammed his skull back and mentally cheered as Jeff let go and stumbled back cupping his bloody nose. Jensen dropped to the floor and snatched his phone from the carpet, drooping it into his pocket just as Jeff closed an arm around his wind pipe. Black spots began dancing in his vision. His finger movements were becoming clumsy as he brought his hands up to claw at the iron pipe restricting his breathing. The cloth was placed securely back over his gaping mouth and as the arm crushing his trachea loosened Jensen had no choice but the gasp in.

Jensen sucked in a lung full of the stinging scent of chloroform and slowly began going limp in Jeff’s grasp. He felt himself being glided down to the hardwood floor and saw Jeff’s face hovering over him, sickening smile on his face.

Then everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

His mouth tasted like ass. Something dry and foul was tied around his head and firmly shoved in between his lips. Jensen tried to stretch his jaw a bit but that only caused his dry lips to split and made a coppery taste to join the ass one. He cracked his eyes open, breathing in heavily through his nose as nausea rolled in his stomach. He was not dying by choking on his own vomit. After letting his eyes adjust to the new light, he took note of his surroundings. There wasn’t much to see.

The room he was in was bare except for the curtains which were drawn over the windows. One dull bulb hung from the center of the ceiling sending off an eerie glow. Jensen rolled shoulders back and groaned at the burn in the muscles of his arms which were bound to the armrests of his chair by silvery ductape. Jensen shifted his hands and tugged at the tape but it refused to give. He attempted to kick with his legs but they too, were bound.

“Jensen, good to see you awake.” Jeff chuckled from the shadows. He stepped into the room completely at ease, arms crossed behind his back and a soft grin adorning his face. It was really pissing Jensen off. Jensen tried to shout back but the gag muffled his words and blocked his tongue. “I’ll remove the gag if you promise me you won’t scream. Do you promise Jensen?”  
Jensen wriggled his hand, attempting the flip the fucker off, but he couldn’t maneuver his fingers right. He conceded to a small nod. Jeff moved closer and unsheathed a knife from his belt. Jensen tensed up as the glinting metal disappeared behind him and out of his sight. Suddenly, the pressure on his lips was gone and the gag fell from his mouth to land in his lap. “Why did you do it Morgan?”

“Oh, so no small talk then. No reminiscing on old tales.” Jeff chuckled pacing around to the front of Jensen again. He crouched down into a squat and steadied his hands on both of Jensen’s legs, knife loosely grasped in one hand. Jensen fought to keep his face impassive as Morgan reached out and stroked his cheek with the knife. He could hear the rasp of metal on the scruff of two day old stubble, “You remind me of her, you know.”

“Of who?” Jensen rasped out, resisting the urge to pull his face away. Jeff didn’t removed his hand and instead brought up the other to hold the unrestricted side of Jensen’s face. He stroked his thumb over Jensen’s cheek bone and pressed a finger to his bottom lip before looking into his eyes.

“You have the same eyes.” Jeff said quietly.

“Who?” Jensen asked again, voice rough with dread. His muscles spasmed with tension as Jeff ran a hand through his short cropped hair. Fingernails dragging across the thin skin of his scalp.

“Such a pretty green.” Jeff replied with a faraway look glazing his vision.

“Who?” Jensen rasped more forcefully.

“My daughter.” Jeff answered softly, eyes falling back onto Jensen’s face. He removed his hands and straightened back up. Jensen let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding at the blessed release. “I lost everything Jen.”

“I’m sorry Jeff, I really am, about your daughter and everything; but killing people isn’t going to solve anything, it won’t bring her back.” Jensen regretted it as soon as the words escpaed his mouth. Jeff got a wild look in his eye and leaned over Jensen, hands braced on his arms and grinding the bones into the wood of the arm rests.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about boy.” Jeff snapped, his steel grip locking in on the tender space where Jensen’s wrist met his arm.

“You are a sick bastard.” So much for the safe route Ackles, “You killed them! You drugged those innocent girls so they wouldn’t be able to fight back and you stuck a serrated knife in their chest and left them in a pool of their own blood. You are a murdering bastard! Those girls had futures! You wanted to play some fucking hero, pretend like you were protecting people by being on the force. What they needed protection from was you!”

Jeff stilled, fury pouring from his eyes in waves. Then he grabbed Jensen around the neck and pressed down on his trachea. Jensen gasped and sucked in as his chest began to burn, “I’ve done everything for you! Don’t you understand what I’ve given up? All for you!”

Jensen’s eyes were cloudy and oxygen starved but he could make out the manic look in Jeff’s eyes. Morgan’s paw pressed in harder, bruising the tender flesh, nails ripping into the thin skin, “You can’t do this to me Sam!”

Jeff released his hold and Jensen choked in oxygen. Taking in ragged gasps and trying to make the room stop titling on its axis stop, his words were crushed and ragged as he gasped, “Not Sam. Not your wife.”

Jeff turned away and picked up the knife he had dropped in his haste to wrap his hands around Jensen’s throat. He held it loosely in his hands and ran his fingers caressingly over the handle. He turned back to Jensen with clear eyes. “Don’t make me kill you Jensen.”

“What are you going to do with me?” Jensen questioned warily. Emotions were clambering around in his skull as his breath picked up pace. Jeff moved closer to him again and stroked his cheek, this time the knife nicked his flesh and he clenched his jaw as blood broke the surface and began dripping down the side of his face.

“You’ve made this very difficult for me Jensen. I have to protect what’s mine. I’m almost proud of how you found me…” He chuckled darkly, wiping the pad of his thumb through the red dribbling over his face. “Don’t dig any deeper into this case.”

Jensen reeled at the comment. “What more is there to find? You aren’t stupid Morgan, you know that I’m never going to stop hunting you down. Just turn yourself in. I’ll take you in myself, I’ll see if I can get you a good deal. Just let this be over.”

Jensen’s stomach soured at even offering to get The Poe Killer a deal, but he was desperate. Desperate to be home, desperate for justice, desperate to finally remove this guilt from his gut. Morgan seemed to contemplate the idea for a moment but shook it out of his head.

“Here’s a deal Jenny.” Jensen sat up in his binds, gaze steely on his old partner as he spoke, “You keep your pretty mouth shut and I won’t cut that boyfriend of yours into tiny pieces.”  
Jensen’s heart dropped in his chest. Pain bubbled up in his rib cage at the thought of this bastard going after the man he loved. Something inside him broke. No one else could die because of him, especially not Jared. Rage washed over him in waves, drowning the instinct of self preservation in its murky depths, “You even think of touching one fucking hair on my boyfriend’s head and I will fucking destroy you! You will beg for death when I find you, but I won’t give you that release! You touch him and I’ll have nothing to lose Morgan! I will make your miserable fucking existence a living hell! You understand me?! So you better fucking kill me Morgan because I’m going to put you down like the rabid dog you are.”

Morgan chuckled and Jensen’s stomach rolled nauseously. “You have such a fire Jensen. Such spirit. I’m going to let you in on a secret Jensen…”

As he spoke Morgan danced around Jensen’s chair, he bent forward and pressed his lips to the shell of Jensen’s ear before finishing in a hushed whisper, “You aren’t good enough.”  
Jensen swallowed thickly but let nothing show on his face. Morgan brushed the pad of his thumb across Jensen’s lower lip, pupils blown wide. Then he left.

Jensen took a shaky breath, he knew what he had to do. Jensen flicked open the pocket knife he had managed to remove from Jeff’s pocket and slid it to the underside of his hand. He shimmied it up to his wrist and began maneuvering his arm back and forth to saw through the tape. The knife sliced at his forearm every couple of jerks but Jensen just gritted his teeth even as blood began to flow steadily from the slashes. On one jerk the knife cut particularly deep and blood began gushing from his wrist. Jensen gasped in pain, but he was running out of time. With a final tug the tape snapped and Jensen tore his arm free. He didn’t take time to examine the damage before digging a hand into his pocket. His cell phone was gone. No surprise there.

A few feet to his left was a window. He stretched his arm as far as it would go and groaned at the stretch on his aching muscles. Maybe if he could just catch a passerby’s attention. Blood was drenching his entire arm and glistened in the dim light of the overhead bulb. Jensen looked away in order to keep down his lunch. Then he felt the stability of cool glass across his fingertips. He heard boots on the floor and knew Jeff was returning. With one final agonizing stretch he slipped his bloody fingers along the window and grasped at the curtain, trying to gain attention from a possible passerby. He picked up the pocket knife with nimble fingers and began to saw at the tape of his right hand. He knew he wouldn’t be able to escape in time, especially with how his head was spinning, so he lunged for the window in a last desperate attempt for responsiveness.  
Jeff rounded the corner and his eyes went wide with first shock and then rage. He raced forward and snatched the knife from Jensen’s hand much easier than Jensen wanted to admit. His reactions felt sluggish, and his fingers like putty. His head was floating and his limbs felt loaded down by weights.

Jeff snatched up a towel and ripped it down the middle, the stitching tearing messily, then he took Jensen’s arms and bound the ragged cuts. His hands slipped through the slick blood. Jensen moaned feebly. Morgan’s teeth gnashed as he gripped both of Jensen’s arms in one fist and pressed the gory blade to the tender skin of Jensen’s neck. Jensen should have felt petrified, but he didn’t have the strength. Morgan broke skin and rosy blood dribbled from a shallow cut below Jensen’s adam’s apple. He didn’t even blink. He didn’t tremor. He was resigned, and then he heard sirens. A grin broke across his features, the kind of grin that makes your cheeks aches and just screams ‘Fuck you’. Morgan snarled and dragged the bade delicately along Jensen’s stubble covered jaw line.

“Oh my pretty boy, don’t come after me. This is your last warning.” Morgan smashed a fist into Jensen’s mouth and a coppery taste flooded his taste buds. He gagged at the taste and Morgan released his leaded arms. Jeff placed a chloroform soaked rag over his face but there wasn’t much point, he was already tumbling into darkness.  
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A shiver ran down Jared’s spine as his car rolled to a stop in front of retired detective Jeffrey Morgan’s house. The house appeared normal enough, well-kept and small, but something about it gave Jared an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. His hand immediately found his gun holster as he unfolded his tall frame from the police issued Nissan, and he began edging towards the house. There were no vehicles parked out front and no light shone through the front windows; nobody was home.

This was his only lead on where Jensen had gone, so Jared circled the house. The back gate was made of large slabs of tall oak planks and the door was chained closed. Jared used all of his 6 foot 5 inch frame to grab hold of the top of a coupled boards and pull his body up so he could peer over the edge. His hands complained at the wood grain which splintered into his palms but those hours in the gym paid off and Jared was able to hold his large frame up high enough to see the left two thirds of the yard.

He scanned the area, for any sign of something amiss. The back yard wasn’t nearly as manicured, as the front had been, the grass was wild and unruly and weeds sprouted up from along the fence’s barrier. There were a couple of broken plastic buckets and a tangled water hose lying limply in the dry grass, but the rest of the yard seemed clear. Jared strained his neck to take in the right third of the yard and saw the tail end of a car. There was a blue tarp draped over the bumper and license plate but the wheels were in plain view, black rubber contrasting against the shiny blue plastic. He needed a closer look at that car.

Jared catalogued the yard again and saw a tree nestled in the right back corner. Its gnarled limbs edged out above the peak of the fence and bent over to the outside. Jared hopped down from his pull up position, flexing his unhappy fingers as he made his way to the back outer edge of the fence. As he came around the corner he could see the sturdy branches of the tree just hanging over the wooden planks.

Jared grabbed hold of the lowest hanging one and muscled his body up over the fence. He winced as his lower legs scrapped the wood, and the rough bark bit into his palms, then he climbed down dropping gracefully into the yard. He made his way through the knee high grass over to the car and pulled up the end of the tarp.

His stomach clenched painfully.

Jensen’s license plate.

Jared pulled the tarp the rest of the way off and let it bundle on the ground. This was Jensen’s car. Jared made his way around to the driver side and cupped his hands to the glass to see the interior. Jensen’s phone was sitting on the front seat, but the most alarming part was the blood smear on the upholstery. Jared’s breathe caught in his chest. He backed away from the abandoned vehicle and retrieved his gun from his holster, bringing it up in front of him. With gun leading the way he scaled the back porch steps and set a hand around the metal knob of the back door. It was unlocked. Jared pushed the door open, cringing at the squeak it emitted, and entered the residence. With his head on a constant swivel he made his way through the house. No sign of Jensen. No sign of anyone. Jared placed his gun back in its holster and grabbed his cellphone.  
Before he could dial the station it began vibrating in his hand, the screen lit up and an unfamiliar number filled the screen.

“Detective Padalecki.” Jared answered, brow knitted in curiosity and frustration.

“Jared? It’s Chris.” A rough voice drawled from the other line, “They found Jensen.”  
Jared’s heart sped u in his chest as a million questions bounced around his brain, “Where did they find him? Where is he? IS he okay? For fuck sake at least tell me he’s alive!?”

“Calm down Jared, he is fine. Dispatch received a call about a bloody handprint on a window in an abandoned house, whoever had him tied up was long gone but they found Jensen. He lost some blood but he insisted on going back to the station. Persistent little fucker.” Chris soothed from the end of the line, “He’s at the station now with Misha patching him up.”  
Jared smiled a bit, yeah that’s Jensen, “Chris I need you to send some uniforms to retired Detective Jeffrey Morgan’s address. I found Jensen’s car under a tarp in the backyard. Chris… I think Morgan is the one who took Jensen.”

The as silence on the other end for a moment, “Fuck. That means…”

“That Morgan is Poe.” Jared concluded, acid creeping up the back of his throat. Bastard had been right under their noses.

“I’ll send some uniforms to Morgan’s.” His southern twang snapping sharply at the magnitude of emotion. Jared didn’t bother replying, just snapped the phone shut and began scaling the tree. He needed to get back to the station and see that Jensen was alright. Then he was going to kick his ass.


End file.
